Venoms and Poisons

Venoms are resin-like toxins smeared on blades, darts, pins and arrows, and they only work through a wound; poisons are liquids that must be swallowed in food or drink. Both need a mortar and pestle, a small cauldron or crucible and a reliable heat source, and each dose takes a full day. Anyone can learn the craft from a tutor for 2,000 XP.

Brewing them is perilous: the maker saves vs Dexterity at +1 per level or is exposed to the toxin through a scratch or its vapors. One dose of venom coats a sword, a two-handed axe, 2 hand axes, 4 spear or javelin heads, 6 daggers, 10 arrows or bolts, or 20 war darts, and the coating is used up on the first successful hit. Across most of the Atlantean world only alchemists may legally hold these substances; elsewhere they fetch 200-600 GP a dose illegally.

The venoms are curare, a jungle tribes' secret that paralyzes within 1-2 rounds and can stop heart and lungs; ghoul's venom, which paralyzes for 5-20 minutes; scorpion, spider and snake venoms dealing 2-8, 2-16 or 2-12 damage a minute (half on a save); and wyvern venom, which kills in 2-8 minutes unless the victim saves and loses half remaining hit points instead. Among poisons, slow poison given in tiny daily doses drains a point of Constitution every two days until the victim dies, while black death brings agony, convulsions and almost instant death.